Jerod Haase: Jacque Vaughn hire no surprise

Ex-teammate says new Magic coach ‘whole package’

Jerod Haase, the 38-year-old, first-year head coach at UAB, was out recruiting Saturday when news broke that former Kansas University backcourt-mate Jacque Vaughn had been hired to coach the NBA’s Orlando Magic at the even younger age of 37.

“I said, ‘Wow,’” Haase said in a phone interview Sunday night, asked his reaction to the San Antonio Spurs assistant’s being named Stan Van Gundy’s replacement in Orlando.

“I’m not surprised,” Haase quickly added. “Jacque is destined for greatness. No doubt he has the whole package. He’s a great guy. He is intelligent. He gets along with people. He’ll be great.”

Haase, who like Vaughn is a 1997 KU graduate, worked on Roy Williams’ North Carolina staff for nine years prior to accepting the UAB post. Vaughn, meanwhile, played in the NBA for 12 years before retiring in 2009 and entering coaching under the tutelage of former KU volunteer assistant/Spurs legend Gregg Popovich.

“Jacque was a leader on our team. He could lead by example or lead by saying the right things,” Haase said of Vaughn, floor general on the star-studded 1996-97 team that went 34-2. “Jacque could talk to people and get the best out of them.

“We talk every once in a while, not a ton,” Haase added of his current relationship with Vaughn. “The bond we had as players is pretty strong. Our paths will cross from here on out.”

It seems fitting that Haase and Vaughn both earned their first head-coaching posts just a few months apart, considering the two were often mentioned in the same sentence during their KU days by then-Jayhawk coach Williams.

“Hopefully five, 10, 20 years from now you’ll be saying the same thing,” Haase said, responding to a reporter’s comment that, back in college, the two seemed like coaches in the making.

“The best thing is, I don’t have to go against him. He’s in the NBA ... The best part is he and I have never lost a game,” Haase added with a laugh.

Haase and UAB assistants Robert Ehsan, Richie Riley and Jeff Wulbrun have just completed their first July recruiting evaluation period.

“It was just awesome,” Haase said of a couple weeks of July on the road. “I am totally worn out, but the progress we’re making as a staff is unreal.”

It was recently announced that UAB had signed a three-year agreement to play Williams’ Tar Heels.

The first and third games will be played in Chapel Hill, N.C., the second in Birmingham, Ala., home of UAB.

“For my position now, it’s a great deal,” Haase said. “Our fans are excited. I think it’s important for us to play big games.”

Haase said it would be a thrill to be able to work out a game or series of games against his beloved alma mater.

“I would love to do it,” Haase said. “I don’t know what it’d take, but I’ll try to work on that.”

Vaughn, by the way, will be introduced as Magic coach at a news conference today in Orlando.

Kaun’s team wins: Former KU center Sasha Kaun scored five points off 2-of-5 shooting and grabbed two rebounds in Russia’s 95-75 victory over Great Britain in Sunday’s Olympic basketball opener in London. Kaun started and played 19 minutes. Russia will meet China on Tuesday morning.

Comments

Jayhawks making news all around. It will be interesting to see how far Russia advances in the Olympics. Can't see them upsetting the USA, but it would be nice to see Sasha do well in the games.

Congratulations again to JV. And good luck during your first term as head coach. I'm sure you have a lot of the Jayhawk Nation wishing you well.

As for KU playing UAB? KU needs to set up long term, year after year, home and away matchups for the future. Can you imagine the reception Haase would receive in AFH? (Previous KU player, and one of Roy's Boys now coaching. Almost like playing N. Carolina and Roy.) Against UAB would seem to be an opportunity in the making. It also would give the Jayhawks some good recruiting exposure in that part of the country.

I don't understand that at all, people should welcome the opportunity to play at AFH with absolutely no requirement for KU to go to an away game. KU is arguably the top venu for college BB and any away games would diminish our revenues.

There's no better way to prepare for the Big Dance than to play good teams on a neutral or away court in front of a hostile crowd. With a young team, they have to develop a thick skin and selective hearing in order to compete successfully on the big stage. Home cookin' is great but it can make you fat and lazy if you have too much of it!!

We played zero road games, except for the Maui Invitational, the Champions Classic, and the PAC12/Big12 challenge last year. I guess we were ill-prepared for the tournament. If only Bill Self had scheduled UAB on the road, we would have been so much more prepared for Kentucky in the final.

Last year we played the champions classic, the Maui invitational, a game at the sprint center, a game on the road for the PAC12/Big12 challenge. No games on the road for a home/away, and we took second place.

Are you saying that if we had more road games, we would have won it all?

There is no reason for us to schedule away games against teams like UAB or any mid-major. I would argue our road games against BCS caliber teams (Big 6 conferences) should be few if ever.

I agree in principle; however, we play in the champions classic every year, a tournament every year (e.g. maui, LV, international, etc.), 1-2 games in the sprint center, and a game against the PAC12 for that challenge.

I guess, I don't see the purpose of increasing road games when we already play so many of them.

If you want to be prepared for tournament play, maybe we could play in domes more often, that is the struggle we have had.

He will get it till he doesn't want it any more, or until he loses and he never will with American pros playing.

He lives to set records. He has a chance to set consecutive Olympic gold medal coaching records that will probably never be touched. He will coach the Olympic team on life support, even while in hospice, if they will let him.

Californian Jerod Haase from KU and UNC and Roy Williams to UAB to replace Mike Davis at the school that Missourian Gene Bartow put on the map after Gene decided the heat was too hot at UCLA. One story says he tears up just the way Roy does. I like Jerod, and hope he tears up CUSA.

What the hell is wrong with all these schools for not hiring Joe Dooley?

Joe Dooley is the best top assistant in the country not getting hired right now.

What gives?

He has been one of Self's top assistants on the team that won a ring and on the team that finished second, and on Self's unprecedented string of B12 conference championships.

Joe Dooley has excellence and commitment written all over him.

The only negative I can see is that he is part of the "do it the right way guys" that have taken their lumps recently at UK (Gillispie) and St. Johns (Roberts) for not knuckling under to the scum bags.

If ever there were a guy that deserves a shot, its Joe Doo right now.

Let's hope the team does well again, and Joe Doo finally gets his shot.